Genomics knowledge and attitudes among European public health professionals. Results of a cross-sectional survey

Background The international public health (PH) community is debating the opportunity to incorporate genomic technologies into PH practice. A survey was conducted to assess attitudes of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) members towards their role in the implementation of public health genomics (PHG), and their knowledge and attitudes towards genetic testing and the delivery of genetic services. Methods EUPHA members were invited via monthly newsletter and e-mail to take part in an online survey from February 2017 to January 2018. A descriptive analysis of knowledge and attitudes was conducted, along with a univariate and multivariate analysis of their determinants. Results Five hundred and two people completed the questionnaire, 17.9% were involved in PHG activities. Only 28.9% correctly identified all medical conditions for which there is (or not) evidence for implementing genetic testing; over 60% thought that investing in genomics may divert economic resources from social and environmental determinants of health. The majority agreed that PH professionals may play different roles in incorporating genomics into their activities. Better knowledge was associated with positive attitudes towards the use of genetic testing and the delivery of genetic services in PH (OR = 1.48; 95% CI 1.01–2.18). Conclusions Our study revealed quite positive attitudes, but also a need to increase awareness on genomics among European PH professionals. Those directly involved in PHG activities tend to have a more positive attitude and better knowledge; however, gaps are also evident in this group, suggesting the need to harmonize practice and encourage greater exchange of knowledge among professionals

Primary Care Staff's Views and Experiences Related to Routinely Advising Patients about Physical Activity. A Questionnaire Survey

Background: United Kingdom public health policy has recently re-emphasised the role of primary health care professionals in tackling increasing levels of physical inactivity within the general population. However, little is known about the impact that this has had in practice. This study explores Scottish primary care staff's knowledge, attitudes and experiences associated with advising patients about physical activity during routine consultations. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey of general practitioners (or family physicians), practice nurses and health visitors based in four health regions was conducted during 2004. The main outcome measures included: i) health professionals' knowledge of the current physical activity recommendations; (ii) practice related to routine physical activity advising; and (iii) associated attitudes. Results: Questionnaires were returned by 757 primary care staff (response rate 54%). Confidence and enthusiasm for giving advice was generally high, but knowledge of current physical activity recommendations was low. In general, respondents indicated that they routinely discuss and advise patients about physical activity regardless of the presenting condition. Health visitors and practice nurses were more likely than general practitioners to offer routine advice. Lack of time and resources were more likely to be reported as barriers to routine advising by general practitioners than other professional groups. However, health visitors and practice nurses were also more likely than general practitioners to believe that patients would follow their physical activity advice giving. Conclusion: If primary health care staff are to be fully motivated and effective in encouraging and supporting the general population to become more physically active, policymakers and health professionals need to engage in efforts to: (1) improve knowledge of current physical activity recommendations and population trends amongst frontline primary care staff; and (2) consider the development of tools to support individual assessment and advice giving to suit individual circumstances. Despite the fact that this study found that system barriers to routine advising were less of a problem than other previous research has indicated, this issue still remains a challenge

Mental health nurses’ attitudes, behaviour, experience and knowledge regarding adults with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder:systematic, integrative literature review

Aims and objectives To establish whether mental health nurses responses to people with borderline personality disorder are problematic and, if so, to inform solutions to support change. Background There is some evidence that people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder are unpopular among mental health nurses who respond to them in ways which could be counter-therapeutic. Interventions to improve nurses’ attitudes have had limited success. Design Systematic, integrative literature review. Methods Computerised databases were searched from inception to April 2015 for papers describing primary research focused on mental health nurses’ attitudes, behaviour, experience, and knowledge regarding adults diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Analysis of qualitative studies employed metasynthesis; analysis of quantitative studies was informed by the theory of planned behaviour. Results Forty studies were included. Only one used direct observation of clinical practice. Nurses’ knowledge and experiences vary widely. They find the group very challenging to work with, report having many training needs, and, objectively, their attitudes are poorer than other professionals’ and poorer than towards other diagnostic groups. Nurses say they need a coherent therapeutic framework to guide their practice, and their experience of caregiving seems improved where this exists. Conclusions Mental health nurses’ responses to people with borderline personality disorder are sometimes counter-therapeutic. As interventions to change them have had limited success there is a need for fresh thinking. Observational research to better understand the link between attitudes and clinical practice is required. Evidence-based education about borderline personality disorder is necessary, but developing nurses to lead in the design, implementation and teaching of coherent therapeutic frameworks may have greater benefits. Relevance to clinical practice There should be greater focus on development and implementation of a team-wide approach, with nurses as equal partners, when working with patients with borderline personality disorder

Oral health knowledge : attitudes and practice in 12-year-old schoolchildren

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the association between knowledge, attitudes and practice of oral health in 12-year-old schoolchildren, and to analyse the findings in terms of the conventional KAP health-education model and of the critical approach. Study design: This study has a cross sectional design. The study participants were 1105 randomly selected 12-year-old children resident in the region of Galicia in Spain. For data collection, five teams of one dentist and one assistant were formed. The dentist carried out the physical examination and the assistant helped the subjects to answer the questionnaire. Knowledge, attitudes and practice were assessed, as well as oral health indicators. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify variables affecting practice (as measured by extent of plaque). Results: The results of this study show how that there is an important association between oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practice in 12-year-old schoolchildren in this region. However, the results also show that attitude is not totally explained by knowledge, so that attitude cannot be understood simply as an intermediate variable in a knowledge? practice causal chain. Specifically, the results indicate that sociocultural environment modifies the association knowledge, attitudes and practice. Conclusions: Within oral health education it is clearly important to increase public knowledge of the risk factors for dental disease. However, the efficacy of such education will be limited if health programs do not directly impinge on attitudes, and take into account factors related to the environment, education, social status and economic level of the targeted population

Implementation of LGBT+ Health Education for Master’s Entry Nursing Students

Background: There is a paucity of evidence linking Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT+) health education with improvement in nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes, and comfort of LGBT+ health considerations. Methods: In a pre- and post-test study design, a total of 77 master’s entry to nursing practice students completed the LGBT+ health educational module during the Community Health Nursing course. Results: Statistically significant results were found between pre-test to post-test data for knowledge (p \u3c .001, Cohen’s d 2.52), attitudes (p \u3c .001, Cohen’s d 0.35), and comfort (p = .001, Cohen’s d 0.31) of LGBT+ health considerations. Conclusion: The LGBT+ health education module improved MENP students’ attitudes and comfort with LGBT+ clients and markedly increased their knowledge of LGBT+ health considerations. Findings suggest LGBT+ health education can be implemented by nursing faculty in master’s entry to nursing practice programs with a positive impact on student knowledge, attitudes, and comfort

Translation to practice: a randomised controlled study of an evidenced based booklet targeted at breast care nurses in the United Kingdom

BACKGROUND: In the United Kingdom (UK), it was documented that a problem of knowledge transfer existed within the speciality of breast-cancer care, thus depriving patients of receiving optimal care. Despite increasingly robust research evidence indicating recommendation of whole body exercise for people affected by breast cancer, commensurate changes to practice were not noted amongst breast-care nurses (BCNs). AIM: To evaluate the effect of a targeted booklet, Exercise and Breast Cancer: A Booklet for Breast-Care Nurses, on changes in knowledge, reported practice, and attitudes of BCNs in the UK. METHOD: A prospective, experimental approach was used for designing a pre- and post-test randomised controlled study. Comparisons of knowledge, reported practice, and attitudes based on responses to a questionnaire were made at two time-points in two groups of BCNs (control and experimental). The unit of randomisation and analysis was hospital clusters of BCNs. The sample comprised 92 nurses from 62 hospitals. Analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and clustered regression techniques: clustered logistic regression for knowledge items, clustered linear regression for knowledge scores, ologit for attitude and reported practice items, and clustered multiple regression for paired and multiple variable analysis. RESULTS: A statistically significant increase in knowledge and changes in reported practice and attitudes were found. Robust variables affecting knowledge acquisition were: promotion of health, promotion of exercise, and understanding how exercise can reduce cancer-related fatigue. DISCUSSION: The study has shown that evidence-based printed material, such as an information booklet, can be used as an effective research dissemination method when developed for needs, values, and context of a target audience. CONCLUSIONS: This practical approach to research dissemination could be replicated and applied to other groups of nurses.</p

Effect of recovery-based interventions on recovery knowledge and attitudes of mental health professionals, regarding recovery-oriented practice : a quantitative narrative review

Mental health recovery is an enabling process encouraging consumers to live a productive life, notwithstanding the presence of debilitating symptoms of illness. The recovery model has been integrated into all areas of mental health. However, literature shows that mental health professionals are not equipped to provide recovery-oriented care to consumers. Researchers have recommended recovery-based interventions to develop knowledge, attitudes and skills to promote recovery-oriented practice in mental health, yet there is a paucity of research regarding the effect of recovery-oriented interventions on the knowledge and attitudes of mental health professionals to improve recovery-oriented practice. Therefore, the purpose of the current review is to understand the effectiveness of interventions on recovery knowledge and attitudes of mental health professionals regarding recovery-oriented practice. The papers were identified through the Population Intervention Comparison and Outcome strategy. The heterogeneity of the selected papers led to a narrative review instead of a systematic review with meta-analysis. The analysis suggested that recovery-based interventions are effective in enhancing the recovery knowledge and attitudes of mental health professionals. Recovery-based interventions have the potential to reduce the use of physical restraints and improve work satisfaction among mental health professionals. The limitations of the studies were the heterogeneity of the selected populations and the absence of strong methodologies to assess the effect of the interventions. Therefore, future investigations should be focused on the effect of interventions on a homogeneous group using randomised controlled trials. Keywords: mental health professionals, mental health nurses, practice, recovery knowledge and attitude, recovery-based interventions

Design, implementation, and evaluation of educational program in oral health for midwives and other antenatal care providers in Iran

Background: Maintaining oral health during pregnancy has been considered an essential public health issue worldwide. One of the various preventive strategies is to train antenatal care providers to guide pregnant women. This study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate an educational program’s effect on the oral health related knowledge, attitudes, and practice of antenatal care providers in Iran. Materials and Methods: All of the antenatal care providers working at Isfahan health centers were invited for this study in April 2019. A total of 340 volunteers (120 midwives and 220 others) finally participated in this interventional study with a pre test–post test design. A questionnaire was developed to assess the participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice before and after the intervention. A lecture based educational session containing similar issues asked in the questionnaire was held for all the participants. The participant’s total knowledge scores before and after the intervention, and their attitudes and practice were evaluated and compared through paired t test. Results: The participants’ mean total knowledge scores before and after the intervention were 42.87 and 52.25, respectively. The paired t test revealed a statistically significant difference between pre and post intervention scores (p < 0.001). The frequency of participants’ answers to attitude and practice questions was also determined. Conclusions: Improving oral health related knowledge of antenatal care providers can be achieved through a single educational session designed by accurately assessing their needs. The participants’ attitudes revealed barriers to seeking dental care by pregnant women; however, the participants’ oral health related practice was acceptable

A Comparison Between the Skills-Based Education with a Lecture-Based Education on Female Adolescents’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Health in Puberty: A Randomized Trail Study

Abstract Introduction: Skills-based health education is useful in the promotion of health behaviors. Preparing for puberty is essential for adolescents. This study aimed to assess the effects of a skills-based education on girls' knowledge, attitudes, and practice about health in puberty. Methods: This was an experimental study on 80 female school students in Tehran, Iran. Two groups of forty participants were randomly designated as the experimental and control in two different high schools in Tehran. A skills-based education program trained the experimental group, and a routine lecture-based education taught the control group about health in puberty. Data was collected using a questionnaire that assessed the participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practice about health in puberty; before, immediately after, and two months after the education. Results: Knowledge and attitude were significantly improved in the skills-based education group comparing to the Lecture-based group, immediately after (P = 0.002 and P = 0.045, respectively) and two months after the interventions (P &lt; 0.001 and P = 0.034, respectively). Both methods were not effective in improving practice. Conclusions: Skills-based health education is more effective than the routine lecture-based education on improving knowledge and attitudes about puberty in health

Previous Experiences with Epilepsy and Effectiveness of Information to Change Public Perception of Epilepsy

Differences with regard to the effectiveness of health information and attitude change are suggested between people with direct, behavioral experiences with a health topic and people with indirect, nonbehavioral experiences. The effects of three different methods of health education about epilepsy, frequently used in health education practice, are assessed in a pretest posttest design with control groups, controlling for experiences with epilepsy. Subjects were 132 students from teacher-training colleges. After all treatments, attitudes, and knowledge about epilepsy were changed in a positive way. Treatments were found to be equally effective. Before treatment, direct behavioral experiences were related to knowledge and a more positive attitude towards epilepsy. After treatment, subjects with direct behavioral experiences with epilepsy showed less change of attitude and knowledge as compared with subjects with indirect experiences. Direct experiences appear to restrain the processing of new information and attitude change